


The Game Of Hearts

by Molly_Dz



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste Is Sunshine, Adrien Agreste Needs Help, Adrien Agreste Needs Love, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Needs a Hug, Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng Fluff, Adrinette | Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Alternate Universe - No Miraculous, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alya Césaire Is The Best, Angst and Romance, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety Disorder, Awesome Nino Lahiffe, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Cuddling & Snuggling, Dark Past, Depression, Divorce, Dorks in Love, Drama & Romance, Emilie Agreste Lives, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Lovers, Evil Lila Rossi, F/M, Fresh Take on Dark Romance Fics, Friendship, Gabriel Agreste Is Not Hawk Moth, Gabriel is Dead, Gen, Hate to Love, Hot Mess Adrien Agreste, Hot Mess Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Hugging, Human Plagg (Miraculous Ladybug), Human Tikki (Miraculous Ladybug), Hurt Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kidnapping, Kissing, Kissing in the Rain, Lila Rossi Lies, Lila Rossi's Lies Are Exposed, Love Confessions, Love Conquers All, Manipulative Lila Rossi, Minor Character Death, Minor Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth/Nathalie Sancoeur, Mutual Pining, Nino Lahiffe Ships It, No Smut, Oblivious Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Past Rape/Non-con, Plagg Cares (Miraculous Ladybug), Playboy!Adrien Agreste, Police, Protective Alya Césaire, Protective Chloé Bourgeois, Protective Gabriel, Protective Nathalie Sancoeur, Protective Tikki (Miraculous Ladybug), Rape Recovery, Romantic Soulmates, Strong Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Supportive Plagg (Miraculous Ladybug), Surprise Kissing, Teenage Drama, Wattpad Account: @Molly_Dz, Wattpad Updates Might be Ahead, What is Really Fair in Love and War?, YOU WON'T REGRET IT, past abusive relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:07:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28316499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Molly_Dz/pseuds/Molly_Dz
Summary: "Marinette will not only confess to me," he said with a bravado he didn't feel to faces he had come to despise, "But will give me her first kiss. Within 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 weeks." In some distant part of himself, as they hooted and made bets in the background, Adrien recognized this was just a petty means of revenge. It wouldn't heal what had been hurt, wouldn't fix what was broken. Likely all it would do was make things worse. But Adrien shook his head clear of the thoughts before they could dissuade him from the challenge. 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢 𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘦, 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨.❤💔❤When the teen heartthrob, Adrien Agreste, crosses paths with the quintessential girl, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, chaos ensues. As their lives get entangled due to a single bet, will the 'Player of Hearts' be able to protect his loved one from the dark figure of his past that still lurks in the shadows?Or will the mind-numbing whispers never cease?******𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐌 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Emilie Agreste & Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth/Nathalie Sancoeur, Lila Rossi/Trash, Plagg/Tikki (Miraculous Ladybug)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	1. Prologue: The Games We Play

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Adrienette AU long-fic. 'The Game of Hearts' is an idea I've been playing with in my head for months now. 
> 
> My mom once said to me, "So you wanna be a wrier? Why do you think they'll read *your* book when so many amazing ones have already been written? Write a story that leaves a message so that its imprint lasts forever." 
> 
> Let's see how much of that advice I'm able to use...
> 
> *This is an AU. Knowledge of the Miraculous AU isn't required to understand this book's concept.*

Regret.

_Remorse._

It's a feeling that consumes you wholly and makes you perceive yourself as the demon everyone hates. There are times in which your brain shuts down, and there are no excuses left. It feels like you've failed someone extremely important.

Everything around you seizes up. Your emotions turn cold, but you're still hyperaware of things that are happening around you. You want to retract all the bad things you've said, to make amends. It kills you to admit that it's nothing but fruitless.

These are the moments in which you're the least proud of yourself.

"I- Is this true, Adr- Adrien?" The waver in her voice didn't go unnoticed by the guilty blond. "Did you make the bet? Was everything just a _game?_ " Marinette asked. The tears of sorrow were trickling down freely from her blue eyes that had been glowing with mirth mere minutes earlier.

Adrien wanted to deny. He wanted to flee. To leave the past behind. But he couldn't do it. Not because his feet were frozen, but because he couldn't run away when he had caught himself imagining her in _his future_ multiple times. She hated liars. He should've come clean. Yet no words left his mouth. So he just chose to lower his head in shame. His heart cracked to see her like this- so vulnerable. He wished to vanish from her life.

"ANSWER ME!" Marinette yelled, " _Please_." Her voice was reduced to a weak whisper that he wished he hadn't heard.

Adrien's knees buckled. "Yes," he said, like a sinner who confessed their sin to a pastor. _I am a sinner._

"But, why?!" She threw the blue scarf _(that she so thoughtfully made for him as a gift)_ in his face and took off- not bothering to muffle her sobs.

He didn't even have the opportunity to relish in the softness of the fabric. His legs finally gave out under the weight of his depravities and he sunk to the ground. The sting in his eyes due to an unfamiliar emotion frightened him. _I'm an idiot!_ What could he do except to lament? "I'm sorry, Marinette," he said forlornly, "I'm **so** sorry."

**.**

**.**

**.**

_Regret is such a short word... and yet it stretches on forever._


	2. Darling, I'm A Nightmare, Dressed Like A Daydream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who really IS Adrien Agreste?
> 
> . . .And, what is his story?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Mentioned Abuse
> 
> P.S: Don't worry, I don't believe in romanticizing abusive relationships OR Stockholm syndrome.

𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗟𝗬 𝗧𝗪𝗢 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗛𝗦 𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗟𝗜𝗘𝗥...

  
"You cannot understand people's love and affection," Sarah spoke harshly, grabbing Adrien's collar. "And then you dare to blame _others_ for leaving _you?!_ People are generally allergic to dust, milk, or peanuts, but you, Agreste, are allergic to _LOVE!_ " She let go of him with a jerk that sent him lurching backwards.

The wrath in her gaze burnt holes in his skull. He was sure that if looks could kill, then he would have died right then and there.

"I hope you find someone who fixes you, Adrien," she spat angrily. "Someone who would show you your place, _someone_ who would beat you at your own game." With that, she left.

The boy was privately grateful; her tears meant nothing to him, and it was always a pain trying to explain _that._

**.**

**.**

**.**

Cocky and _very_ flirty, he was the object of affection of girls and guys alike. He could romance in three different languages, and he made good use of his fame as a former supermodel. His name was Adrien Agreste.

 _Ironically,_ the young man who had sworn to never let another woman touch him.

* * *

_"This is getting out of hand, buddy."_ Plagg was trying his best to hide his bitterness in his voice. Despite being very fond of Adrien, he couldn't say that his attitude towards certain people was acceptable.

"Nah, Plagg," the blond shrugged off the boy's distress, knowing full well what caused it. He could see that his cousin's face was betraying his anger as he looked at his tensed features through the computer's screen. He knew that his cousin was furious at him for deluding Sarah, but he couldn't care less. "She had it coming. She's no different than the others."

_"I've met her, and she's a decent girl with a kind heart. You can't go around playing with innocent people's feelings. It's not right."_

"Her innocence was just an act. I know girls that are like her. They pretend to care, but they just want the money." He said, not bothering to keep the agitation from his voice.

 _"Adrien,"_ the boy at the other end sighed. _"Not everyone is like that. You gotta trust people. This can't go on like this. It's wrong on so many levels. Do you think your papa would've like to-"_

 **"DON'T YOU DARE BRING PAPA INTO THIS!"** The blond bellowed. "If only, I'm doing this to avenge him! He didn't deserve to die. It's all _her_ fault." Tears rolled down his cheeks in equal-part anger, and equal-part hurt. "It _is_ their fault. Girls _deserve_ this," he uttered weakly.

Truth be told, he didn't like to piss Plagg off. He didn't want to disappoint him. He cared about his cousin very much, but he didn't know just how cruel girls could be. They were malicious, vindictive scum who just wanted money and fame. As long as they got what they wanted, they would pretend to be an angel, but he knew their real faces, their brutal reality- they were all demons! _Papa didn't deserve to die. I will avenge him._

 _"Adrien,"_ Plagg finally spoke up after hearing Adrien's sudden outburst, _"Dude, I know what Li-"_

"Don't even take her fucking name in front of me," the enraged blond interrupted his cousin. Just the mention of that girl provoked him. _And you don't even know half of what she did._

Visible tremors shook his entire frame. It was the reason why he didn't like to talk about her. He felt like a powerless pawn against her as if she still had control over him and his every action. He didn't like the feeling of being all but meek and helpless, and he hated _her_ for making him feel that way. And he was sure that he always would.

 _"Right,"_ the black-haired boy rectified himself, _"Look, I know what that witch did, but she's already in the asylum! Don't you think it's mean to make other girls suffer for something she did? I don't like seeing you still being hung up on the past, buddy. You abuse them emotionally and play with their hearts. They don't deserve it. No one does."_ Plagg's eyebrows furrowed sorrowfully. His heart ached to see the mess of a human his dearest friend had become over the past few years.

 _I didn't deserve any of what that witch did to me either._ The sadistic part of him smiled wickedly, proud of himself for teaching numerous girls an important lesson. "They _do_ deserve it, Plagg. You just can't see it just yet."

Adrien cheered as he saw him rub his temples in defeat- at least for the particular conversation. Adrien knew that Plagg wouldn't give up so easily- not that his cousin would be able to change his mind.

_"Do those nightmares still haunt you?"_

Plagg's abrupt question caught him off guard. His rounded eyes, raised brows, and slack expression confirmed his shock to the guy on the other side of the computer screen. Adrien knew that he should've seen it coming. "Not _an_ \- anymore." He stuttered out a white lie. Not that his cousin would've believed it anyway.

* * *

Adrien didn't quite remember when he had become such an irresponsible person. All he knew was that his father's murder was the beginning of a domino effect, and he went from being a sweet, considerate, happy-go-lucky, and cheerful boy to a careless, rash, impatient and hostile teen overnight.

He wasn't a despicable person, per se _(though his ex-lovers would argue)._ While it was true that he was a playboy, the only people on his 'torture radar' were girls. . . More precisely, the girls who were _interested in him._

Adrien walked into the night club his friends had invited him over to. And even though he was supposed to enjoy himself, his mind was elsewhere. Things had changed so drastically over the past few years. A new city, new school, new friends, and a new life. Moving from Paris to Versailles had been arduous because it had hurt to leave his best friends Nino and Plagg behind, but he had been desperate to get away from _'The City of Love'._

He had needed to escape all the unbearable remnants of his damaged childhood. He had needed to get away from the place he had met _her._

He clenched his fists, blood boiling at the very thought of her. He had been so stupid and naïve- fallen for her barefaced lies, letting her in. _Why does she still plague my thoughts?_ He didn't like to admit it, but he hadn't been able to get over his fear of that witch. His fist collided angrily with the elevator's door, creating a visible dent. Oh, how he wished it was _her_ face!

The door unexpectedly opened, and he acknowledged the fact that he had reached the underground bar. The music blared in his eardrums, and he found himself wincing and almost covering his ears.

Adrien made his way through a packed crowd of drunk people who were busy dancing, towards his friends, who he could see, were having the time of their lives.

Time and again, he was envious of his friends. They all had good lives, and despite a few hardships here and there, they still managed to be as carefree as they were. They didn't have to pretend to be unaffected like himself. They all had caring families.

The feeling of jealousy was often followed by the one of emptiness- conceding the void in his heart. He was surrounded by spotlights all the time and yet, he wasn't alien to the fact that he was losing his soul to the darkness and eventually getting lost. He didn't have a right to be mad at his friends for not detecting his turmoil when he was the one who had chosen loneliness for himself.

Craning his neck to the left, Adrien saw some couples making out. His face twisted in disgust.

One particular pair caught his attention- the man had been pinned by a brunette against the wall. He was smiling seductively at her while the woman's hand made its way under his shirt.

His feet came to a sudden halt, brain going haywire as he found his thoughts dizzying. His face paled as all the blood drained from his cheeks. A cacophony of voices and emotions imprisoned him. It felt as if the floor beneath his feet had disappeared whilst the world spun around. Everything around him blurred, and before he could say knife, he found himself standing in his room in Paris- in a time when _she_ was still in his life. Watching the couple, he felt like a child again, memories he had tried hard to suppress bubbled back to the surface vigorously.

_"Oh, Adrien!" A familiar, sickeningly-sweet voice cooed, and even though it sounded like honey, it dared its prey to resist._

_"Don't touch me, please." The twelve-year-old boy begged. His high-pitched cries of pleading fell on deaf ears._

_Tears obscured his vision as he felt long, dangerous nails scrape his chest whilst his shirt was being unbuttoned. The red, crescent marks on his body from before still hadn't healed completely. His body reacted instinctively and flinched under the touch of the person whose inhuman fingers travelled south. The sensations made him feel dirty. His pained scream was muffled against a piece of cloth as he was slapped across his face._

_Venomous olive-green eyes glared at him, warning him to calm down his wails. "OBEY ME!" The saccharine voice imposed him to shut up._

_He wanted to free himself from her clutches. He wanted to cry out in agony. He wanted to seek help. But he couldn't do anything. He was defenceless against her. His cheek throbbed as it turned red at the_ _blow's_ _impact. Everything hurt, and the poor blond wondered if he would ever get a chance to escape._

Adrien felt his pulse quickening dangerously as the sound of his heart beating louder than the music reverberated in his ears. A sudden need to tear the couple apart overwhelmed him. What if the man was being tortured too? What if he was pretending to be interested? _Just like I had been forced too._

Weird, why was he panting as if he had just run a marathon? His palms felt damp. Why was he sweating in an air-conditioned room? Hadn't he left everything behind?

Every time he had a painful recalling of the past, it felt like someone stuck a thousand pins into his body. It stung. _A lot._ It felt like he was soulless; as if he was walking amidst an ocean of people, and he was the only alien. The one who dug his nails into his palms to numb the pain. One who clutched and tugged furiously at his hair, out of the exasperation. But the tears still won't flow, as if they had been frozen in their ducts.

"HEY, AGRESTE!" Kim shouted over the ear-bleeding music and slapped his back in greeting. "What's got your knickers in a twist?" He ridiculed his expression.

Adrien subtly wiped his tears- a method he had learnt ever since _she_ made his life a living hell. He hurriedly looked back into the direction of the couple only to find them gone. His heart sank. Why did someone else's intimate relationship terrify him so much?

When the Vietnamese boy didn't get a reply from him, he took the matter into his own hands. "Let's get you loosened up, bro," he tugged his arm, gesturing the blond to follow him. "Vodka and a few girls should do."

 _Girls._ Adrien's face darkened. Maybe he needed to teach many more the important lesson of love's worthlessness. That would free him from the burden of his past.

"I still don't get why you don't knock them up, dude. You have the looks to get into any girl's pants." Kim laughed.

The former supermodel sneered menacingly, "Because, that's exactly what they want." He didn't like giving those filthy creatures what they wanted- he enjoyed quite the opposite. "And I'm not in a mood to get wasted right now, either." The last thing he wanted was to get drunk in a club full of girls. Who knew what those _monsters_ would do?

"You're a mystery to me, bro," Kim commented as he grabbed his Long Island Iced Tea from the bar top.

"I prefer to stay this way," Adrien whispered under his breath.

* * *

As time passed, Adrien found himself getting more and more frustrated. What was he supposed to do while his friends got drunk and started dirty-dancing with the single chicks they could find?

"Adrien?" He heard a familiar voice calling him timidly.

He turned around to find himself looking at his classmate. What was her name, again? _Maria? Mary? Martha? No... Melissa!_

"What's up?" He had the decency to ask, not genuinely interested in having a conversation with her. He couldn't say that he wasn't astonished to see his school's most studious and kind girl wearing a black, spaghetti strap, short dress with a plunging neckline and standing in front of him in a club of all places. She was the literal definition of a good girl!

"I- I wanted to ask you, and it's a-ok if you don't answer," the girl started rambling nervously which caused the boy in front of her to raise an eyebrow, "I was just wondering if you would- maybe we could- and you _CAN_ deny," Melissa paused to take in shaky breaths, her hand rested on her chest as if to steady her wild heart.

"I LOVE YOU, ADRIEN AGRESTE!" She proclaimed suddenly. "I was wondering if you would want to go on a date with me sometime?" Her veneer of bravery finally cracked as her voice became subdued again and said, "I- If it's okay with you, that is."

Adrien's eyes widened in realization as he finally caught on. So, _this_ was why Melissa was in the club. She wanted to confess to him. She seemed like a nice girl, and a part of his brain _screamed_ at him, reprimanding him for what he was going to do. From his observation, the brunette in front of him was sensitive- all the better for _his tricks_.

"Oh yeah?" He gushed in a tone faker than Kim's tan, "I love you too! Yes, I would go on a date with you."

"Wait, re- really?" She gaped at him. "Oh," she sighed in relief, "I was so sure you were going to reject me. My friends told me this was a bad idea, and that you were a bad guy," she grinned. "But I think that you're just widely misunderstood." She glanced at him shyly, "Would you like to dance with me?"

"Of course!" Was his reply.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Warm breath ghosted his lips as he leant forward. He saw his dance partner pucker her lips, her eyelids fluttering close through his half-lidded eyes. All he wanted to do at that moment was to slap away her hands from his neck, but he fought the urge to do so as his own hands rested on her petite waist. _Just a few more minutes._

He felt her gently press her lips against his chapped ones, and instantly, he felt filthy- as if he had been drenched with muddy water. A long shower was the first thing on his list as soon as he got home. _Would gagging in the middle of kissing her be considered rude?_

Melissa beamed up at him, and he had to make a great show of liking the kiss. Of course, it wasn't any different than any other he had so far. They all felt bland and emotionless. Adrien never understood why people were such a big fan of sucking face.

"Thank you for tonight, Adrien," the blushing girl said. She intertwined their hands as they walked back to a quiet corner to listen to each other without having to shout.

"Yeah, I guess." If his lack of interest in maintaining physical contact or even having a conversation unnerved her, she did not show it.

"So," Melissa started, "Are you free this Saturday?

"For what?" He asked not-so-innocently.

"Fo- For our fir- first date?"

"Oh, _that,_ " Adrien started smirking victoriously, "I forgot I agreed to that. Listen, I don't have the time to date you," taking pleasure in how her face fell, he continued, "I _don't even_ like you. I was just messing around. You can forget any of this ever happened." He shrugged.

Melissa wasn't the first girl who had worn the expression of disbelief and pain once he had revealed his true colours.

"W- Wh - What?" She squeaked out.

Although, her giggles of hysteria did concern him. Just a _little_ bit, and he questioned her sanity.

"Why did you give me false hope then, Agreste?" Warm tears cascaded down her flushed cheeks.

There, at that precise moment, that exact second, memories that would haunt her forever were formed. They would follow her for the rest of her life and would only bring her pain. There would be no escape from the memories _he_ gave her. It wasn't an illness that could be seen or fixed, the pain was to be her punishment for all she had done.

Adrien knew the exact magnitude of his actions. She would never be able to trust or love as freely ever again. And, he also knew that she deserved it.

"Because I know what you're after," his emerald eyes burnt with resentment, "Did you think I wouldn't know a fake bitch when I saw one? I'm too used to being asked out by random people who claim to love me." He scoffed as the girl's expression soured, _her_ 'true colours' showing now. Disgusted, Adrien started making his way towards the exit. "You started the game, Melissa," he bid over his shoulder, "I just played you first. _À plus tard!_ "

Adrien shook his head in mock disappointment; these girls, one by one, only reinforced it: Love was just a game. It had always been.

And it would _always_ be.

**.**

**.**

**.**

_There are two types of pains, the kind that hurts you, and the other that changes you..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [À plus tard: See you later]
> 
> So, that's it for today. Merry Christmas! (btw) 🎉🎊🎄🎅🏻
> 
> These are my amazing betas: xlovely-lannax (Wattpad), liminal.shadow, quantumchickpea and artEngine. Thank you sooooooo much, guys! ❤❤
> 
> Kudos and comments are much appreciated. Subscribe for more!


	3. All The Lights Are Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is Karma finally catching up with Adrien?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is late... 😬

_Why is cleaning always this messy?_

Trouble always found its way to Adrien. The frustrated blond, who had lost track of time while trying to find his favourite hoodie in his closet, threw more useless stuff onto the floor.

He came across a pair of white slacks that he didn't recall purchasing. _I need to go through my stuff more often._

One leg at a time, he struggled to put them on as he wobbled. They were uncomfortably tight. Adrien walked over to his full body mirror with difficulty and immediately winced.

"Oh great! I've put on more weight, exactly what I needed. _Yay!_ "

He sighed and took the slacks off _(after chanting the mantra of 'Please don't rip, please don't rip' over and over again)._ It was useless anyway. He would end up staining them with salsa had they been a fit.

A couple of minutes later, more outfits joined the slacks on the floor in the most unruly fashion. It took 30 minutes to find ONE. HOODIE! Thankfully, Adrien didn't need to battle with the garment in his attempt of wearing it.

The blond took one look at the pile of clothes he had just unearthed. Realising it was time for his visit to the thrift store _(yet again),_ he bent to take out some plastic bags from the bottom drawer. Instead, he found himself groping something hard... _something square?_

Curious as to what the object might be, Adrien took it out. A series of coughs followed his actions due to the dust that had settled on it. He studied at the element of his interest and gaped.

It was an old photograph of his dad... with Nathalie.

His mouth twitched into a small (and painful) smile. _I'm sorry, Papa. I wish you were here._

The photo spoke to him like no else ever did. Looking at the faces of two of the most important people in his life, he realised just how quickly things had gone downhill for his family.

_At least Nathalie is still alive._

His relationship with his Godmother had always been complicated. She was there for him when no one else was, she understood him. Yet, some things had once strained their relationship. Things that they had vowed to never bring up, lest it'll ruin what they had built over time. _Trust, mutual understanding, and friendship._

Adrien rubbed his face against his clothed bicep to dry his eyes. "These are things of the past, Adrien. There's no use fretting over it," he said to no one in particular.

* * *

His visit to the thrift store was quick.

Adrien was walking briskly to get back to his apartment as soon as possible. He hated being outside where everyone could recognize him. He had pulled over his hood to his forehead and had donned a pair of black shades to blend in and go unnoticed.

He knew he wasn't the best planner, for his 'disguise' was giving him a dark and mysteriously charming vibe. The boy raced every time a head turned in his direction.

Unfortunately, it happened more often than not.

"Excuse me, monsieur."

_Oh, shit!_ Adrien practically dashed in the opposite direction of the voice that had called out to him— not even bothering to spare a look to the person's direction. He turned around the corner in his attempt to outrun his alleged follower. His eyes searched earnestly for some sort of hiding place.

His gaze zeroed on an old man, struggling to pull his ice-cream cart over the pavement to get to the park. _I should help him._ His feet carried him forward instinctively. _And maybe hiding behind his cart would help me._

"Let me help you, sir." Adrien offered, with a genuine smile.

The man didn't say anything except for grunting in response. But his kind, grateful eyes spoke volumes to the younger boy.

Adrien grabbed the cart's handle opposite to the older man. Facing him, Adrien had the time to examine the man's features. His eyes looked exhausted, but the friendliness and warmth they held piqued his interest. The man was wearing a blue apron over his blue-striped t-shirt, and his hair was partially hidden under his purple beret.

With all his might, Adrien pulled the cart up onto the pavement, the pushes by the ice cream vendor aided his cause. With one final forced pull, the cart was successfully pulled over.

They panted in sync after their labour.

"Thank you, _gamin."_ The man said, "You have a good heart. Never let the world change you."

_Good heart?_ Adrien cocked his eyebrow sceptically. The old man wouldn't say that if he knew him. Some people's innocence worried him. Their trait of blind trusting a stranger costs them in future.

"Don't mention it, sir." The teen replied, "Besides, it's not a big deal."

"It is to me," the older of the two grinned, "No one else helped me. What's your name, boy?"

"You don't know me?"

Adrien's incredulous question confused the ice cream vendor. "No. Have we met before?" He tilted his head in curiosity, "I am André, by the way."

"No, we haven't met before," the blond felt refreshed by the fact that at least someone didn't know him. "It's nothing. And um, I'm Adrien." He glanced around warily but didn't see anyone. _Good, the follower is gone._

"Nice name, young fellow. I wish I could repay you..." As if on cue, André's eyes lit up, "Would you like some free sweetheart ice cream?"

"The 'sweetheart' what?"

"Sweetheart ice cream," he stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world and continued, "My ice cream flavours represent others' soulmates."

"Hm... Soulmates, huh?" Adrien questioned, crossing his arms over his chest. "I don't believe that kind of thing."

"Nonsense! There's love in your eyes. I can see it. But, there's also pain, fear and blemishes of the past. Loneliness and longing linger in your heart, my dear boy. Don't worry, for my ice cream will guide you to your better half."

The blond rolled his eyes at the theatrics. But on the inside, he was shocked. He couldn't deny that André's deduction was entirely false. Did that mean he had another shot with lo– _No, that's bullshit._

He jumped at André's unexpected squeal of delight.

" _Parfait!_ I know: strawberry with black chocolate chips for her guise! Blackberries for her hair, and blueberries for her sky blue eyes! I can see it as clear as day. This is meant to be." The older man was quite pleased with himself as he practically beamed at his masterpiece.

On the other hand, Adrien just sighed. _Just some random fruit flavours paired together isn't very magical._ But who was he to turn down free ice cream? He politely accepted the cone.

Realising that the boy's smile didn't reach his eyes, André raised a question in concern, "What's wrong, _gamin?_ Are the flavours not what you were expecting? Why is such a young boy as yourself so miserable?"

The said person's gut twisted in self-disgust. "You don't know me, André. Or else you won't be so nice to me."

"I might not know you, but I know your heart."

"It's- never mind." Adrien tasted his ice cream. He wasn't going to lie, it was _heavenly._ "This is really great, André." He turned to face the wiser man, but confusion clouded his face as he looked at the object in his hand.

"This a lucky charm one of my customers gave to me while I was struggling with my business," André explained the significance of the inexpensive bracelet made with pink and green beads, "It helped me a lot. Although I'm very attached to it, Netta would be glad if I passed this to you. It'd be much more useful to you, _gamin."_

The blond found himself awkwardly accepting the bracelet as he looked between it and its previous owner with a baffled expression. He held it tenderly as though handling a newborn. The beaded bracelet didn't look like a store-bought one.

It wasn't like those gift vouchers that others usually gave him. No, someone had made it with love. It contained emotions. It must've taken effort and time. It had _a meaning._

"Thank you," he said, choking back the uncomfortable lump of hidden feelings in his throat. "Is that her name? 'Netta'?" He asked with an amused tone.

André laughed. "No, I'm sure that's not her real name. She goes by another that I don't know of, but that's what I heard her grandmother calling her. She's a sweet girl. You would've liked her." He patted the boy's back.

"Yeah, I guess," Adrien didn't know what else to say, "Thanks again, André. I don't deserve your kindness."

The man mock-gasped, "Nonsense! Everyone deserves a little bit of kindness. I hope you find this to be true, so that you'll no longer be blue, and that you know it's okay to feel, a sentiment, I'm certain, true love shall reveal."

* * *

Adrien was tired. He was so close to being done with everything! _Volunteering to run seven laps to escape detention was a bad idea, after all._

His hair was dripping wet after the shower he just had to get rid of the disgusting feeling of sweat all over his body. Tossing his dirty clothes into his spare bag in his locker, he idly wondered if sitting in a boring classroom with his troublemaker friends and doing _(absolutely)_ nothing for 3 hours would've been a much better option. He couldn't feel his legs.

_Note to self: never let Kim make any bets when he's wasted as hell. . . unless I want detention purposefully._

Suddenly, the hair on the back of his neck stood up— a usual premonition of danger, but he brushed it away. He was cold after his shower anyway. Lost in thought, he started humming a song's tune mindlessly. _Little kitty on the roof, all alone without his family..._

"Oh, hello Adrien!"

_You've got to be kidding me._ Adrien groaned internally at the shrill greeting directed at him by a girl. He wondered why she sounded so familiar.

Much to his chagrin, she walked over to his side before he could even consider giving her the cold shoulder and leaving the room. He didn't think his mood could sour more until he forced himself to face the girl.

_Jennifer._ Sarah's best friend. The girl who gave him a hard time while he was trying to lead on his ex. He wasn't looking forward to whatever conversation they were going to have. "Hello, Jennifer. Did you get held back for detention too?" he asked monotonously before slamming his locker shut.

Her titters confused him.

"Why are you being so formal, hmm?" She batted her eyelashes and smiled suggestively, "Call me _Jenny,_ _darling."_

Adrien's stomach churned in repulsion as she punctuated her sentence with a wink. He frowned. I don't have the energy for this. "What do you want, _Jennifer?"_

"You're no fun at all," she didn't seem to get the hint. "What's wrong?" She asked with an annoyingly playful pout, rather than backing off, "Your mood is so... _off."_

When Adrien didn't answer right away, she leaned into his personal space, regarding him with low-lidded eyes. She sized him up in a way that made him feel uneasy. I can think of a few things to _cheer you up,_ you know what I mean." She was far too close for comfort.

_I wish I had taken the goosebumps seriously. She's up to something._ Adrien took a small step back and raised an eyebrow at her. "What do you mean? I thought you detested me."

"Oh silly," Jennifer clicked her teeth. She closed the space between them again with a step forward, a friendly smile on her face, "Sarah's beef with you isn't mine," she raised her hand to trace his jaw with the pads of her cold fingers, "I'm not foolish enough to let her hurt feelings change how I think of you. Only a fool wouldn't like a _hottie_ like you~"

Adrien jerked away from her as if he had been electrocuted by her touch. The more she flirted with him, the more he wanted to throw up. _Did she hit her head on the way here?_

"Really? Because if I recall correctly, you always looked like you wanted to punch me." He deadpanned as his eyes narrowed into slits due to his increasing suspicion. He took another two steps back.

"You are _so_ oblivious, Adrien." She stalked towards him like a predator would its prey, flipping a handful of her dirty bronze hair over her shoulder. For a reason he couldn't decipher, the gesture made sirens go off in his head.

He felt squirmish under her gaze. He felt like he had given Jennifer power over himself just by letting her talk. He started brainstorming ways to escape this conversation when his back hit a locker. He was cornered.

"I never hated you. And all those times, I wasn't really looking at you. I was jealous of Sarah," Jennifer let herself into Adrien's personal space again and smirked victoriously when she heard his strained breaths. "Because she had you."

Before she could touch him _again,_ Adrien caught her right wrist and left arm to swivel around so that his way wasn't barred anymore. His iron grip on her arm and wrist was sure to leave marks. She looked pained, but not. . . _bothered?_

Adrien didn't like being caught off-guard. He liked having the upper hand on others. Something he didn't have today. _I need to get away from her._

He turned on his heel to make a run for it when she caught him by his hand. Her hold on him was strong, and he found himself fighting her grip. He winced in pain as her nails slightly pricked his skin.

"You know," she said, her hold lightening, "For a playboy, you _really_ don't like being touched. I wonder why you don't enjoy it when girls throw themselves at you." She looked at him dead in the eye, "You always look so weak and tortured when they do touch you."

Adrien froze at her words. What did she know? Who else had figured him out? He tried to close his eyes to block Jennifer out and calm his breaths.

_"You're weak and pathetic! Do you think anyone will love you? You're nothing but a spineless, pretty face— the perfect trophy for my fame. Now, take off your pan-"_

His eyes snapped open. His breaths were getting shallower. _No, please, God. Not here, not now._ _Not in front of someone._

The last thing he wanted was to have one of his full-blown panic attacks in front of his enemy. He despondently tried to calm himself— trying not to overthink the situation.

_Inhale... 1, 2, 3, 4, 5... and exhale slowly…_ _Repeat._

"So, Adrien," Jennifer smiled slyly, "Why don't you tell me why you don't let a girl touch you? You never sleep around with girls who just want to bed you, the others who genuinely want to date you get emotionally ignored. _Even the ones you're dating suffer the distress._ Why do you call yourself a player when all you do is kiss a girl occasionally?"

That caused something to snap inside him. He looked at the girl with a ferocious expression, grabbing her arms again he snarled, "I don't know what you're trying to pull here, but I can assure you that you will _never_ succeed."

"Oh, _honey,_ can't you see?" She swiped at his feet, causing Adrien to lose his balance and fall over.

**THUD!**

Tears of pain formed in Jennifer's eyes as her head hit the floor loudly.

Everything was happening too quickly for him to comprehend. Adrien's heart sunk when she opened her mouth.

"I've already won," she said, her mouth twisting into a wicked half-smile.

Jennifer shouted at the top of her lungs. "Somebody, _HELP!"_

As if on cue, someone's approaching footsteps were heard. The blond's heartbeat thrummed in his ears. He tried to stand up from his position so that nobody got the wrong idea, but it was already _too_ late.

"GET OFF OF MLLE JENNIFER THIS INSTANT, ADRIEN AGRESTE!" The principal roared.

The boy all but froze at his voice, but seeing his deathly glare, he managed to scramble away from the girl underneath him. _What's happening?_

He looked at the older man rushing to Jennifer's help. To his utter astonishment, she now looked like a fragile flower and not someone who had been practically threatening him just moments earlier. _This is bad._

"Adrien," the principal spoke to him harshly, "I know you are a troublemaker, but harassing your classmate is intolerable." He said while trying to soothe the _'victim'._

Adrien spluttered, "I wasn't- _this wasn't-_ This isn't what it looks like, Monsieur Monet!" He tried to defend himself. He should've guessed that Jennifer had been trying to trap him. _Stupid, stupid!_

How was he supposed to get out of this mess now?

_"ENOUGH!"_ He snapped, "In my office, _now."_ He patted Jennifer's head reassuringly, "Come with me, Jennifer."

Adrien looked aghast. Sure, he had gotten in trouble before, but nothing _this_ serious. His face paled more when he saw his offender blow a kiss in his direction while the principal wasn't looking.

Jennifer mocked him before mouthing words that made rage bubble deep in his chest.

_"Check and mate."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And ladies and gentlemen, the plot has BEGUN!   
> Also, no one was following Adrien. Just a random tourist wanted directions... Sucks to be him lol.
> 
> My betas are lovely! Thank you, guys! ❤❤   
> Take care! 
> 
> Peace, I'm Out!

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry too?


End file.
